Chain-belt tightener.



PATBNTBD AUG. 21, 1906.

I. A. STONE. CHAIN BELT TIGHTENER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JAN.29. 1906.

' which isjoiu'naled a shaft, upon which a ,sents a side view of a part of a chainelt therein, to which is secured a sprocket- U STATEES. PATENT JOHI! A. S'ltXiE, OF CHICAGO, lLLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL ll RVESTER'COlllPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CHAlN-BE'LT TlGHTENERQ no. saucer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sling-r21, 1993.-

pplicntion filed January 29. 1906. Serial lie. 298,413.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Jenn A. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ghain-Belt Tighteners, of which the following is a specification, refereuce being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to belt-tighteners in general, and is designed to be used in connection with what are commonly called chain belts; and it consists in a sliding frame in sprocket-wheel is mounted and adapted to receive a chain belt, and means for yield ingly adjusting the slide in a direction to tighten the belt, and means for securing the slide a ainst backward movement under stress of the belt, its object being to provide a mechanism that will automatically adjust itself in a direction to maintain a proper tautness of the belt and means for positively retaining it in such ad justment'.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 re reniechanisin embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of-Fig. '1, and Fig. 3 represents a chain-belt carrier mount-- ed upon suitable driving and driven sprockets and to which my invention is applicable.

Like referencemmnerals denote the same parts throughout the several views.

1 represents a conveyor-trough having at one end a cross-shaft 2, suitably mounted wheel 3, that may receive motion from any source of power and which is desi nod to be driven in the direction indicated )y the ar row, and 4 is a sprocket-wheel secured to the shaft intermediate the sides of the trough. At the opposite end of the trough and secured to o posite sides thereof are uide,- ways 5 an, 6, and 7 is a rectangular 1 arms adapted to slide longitudinally alon the ways andto be guided thereby. A shaft 8 is journaled in the outer end of the frame, and a rocket-wheel 9 is secured thereto, and at e opposite end of the frame a link 10 is slidably connected therewith, the opposite end of the link being pivotally connected with a lever 11, secured to one end of a rockshaft 12, suitably mounted in the trough and having at its opposite end a hand-lever 13,

and 14 is a spring-latch secured to the side of 5 5 link 10 is provided with a collar 15 interme diate its ends, and a coiled spring 16 operates between said collar and the frame 7 in a manner-to slide the frame along the guideways. Mounted upon one of the guideways is a pawl 17, adapted to engage with teeth. 1.8 upon the frame 7 in a manner to hold it in the direction of movement caused by the spring 16, and 19 is a coiled spring operative to press the pawl toward said teeth. A. chain belt 20 is mounted upon the sprocket-Wheels 4 and 9, and 21 represents flights secured thereto. direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 and is driven from the op osite end of the conveyor-trough by means of the sprocket-wheel 3. When conveyor chains or belts have been heretofore driven as herein described, an un satisfactory result has been attained, caused by the carrying member of the belt buckling and moving irregularly,'due to what is usu ally termed the pushing force of the driving sprocket or pulley, and where the common form of spring-actuated tightener was used any undue strain upon the belt oper ated to draw the tightener in a direction to loosen the belt. My invention removes the difficulty experienced by automaticall taking up any slackness of the belt and positively preventing its return when undue strain is. applied thereto. The effective throw of the lever 11 upon the rock-shaft I2 is s'ull'lcient to cause the link 10 to move the frame 7 a distance greater than the length of one of the links of the chain belt, and the operator may adjust the lengththereofin a manner to dllow the reactionary force of the spring 16 to move the frame 7, and thereby maintain V the effectiveness of the mechanism.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A chain-belt tightener comprising, in combination, a fixed sup ort, a frame mounted to slide upon said the support, a sprocket wheel journaled in said frame, a rock-shaft mounted upon said fixed support, a lever se cured to said rock-shaft, slink having sliding connection with said frame and pivotal connection with said lever, a spring surrounding said link and. operative to slide the frame thereon in one direction, a pawl mounted The chain is given motion in the 3m upon the fixed support and adapted to'ioek 1 said link and operative to move the frame in x 5 the frame against movement in an opposite one direction, a pawl pivotslly mounted on directiomend meansfor roekingsaidroekone of said Ways and operative to lock said shaft. I fro-me against movement in an opposite di- 5 2. A chain-belt tightener oom rising, in rection, a hand-lever secured to said rookoombination, a fixed support, :gui sways seshaft, and e spring-latch adapted to engage 2o cured. to opposite sides of said support, a said hand-lever in a manner to lock it in oprsslme mounted to shde upon said guuleways, erative positlon.

a, s rocket-wheel journaled in .said frame,- a. In witness whereof 1 hereto aflix my signaro roe sha,ft mounted upon soid'fixed support, ture in presence of two witnesses.

- m, lever securedto said rocleshaft, andalink JOHN A. STONE.

floating one "end pivote'lly veonnected with Witnesses: L said ieverwand its'opposite'end'siidebly eon-. THoMAs B. REED,

nected with ssidfmme, srspring surrounding OSCAR A. AnDERs'oN. 

